We’re calling on the local community to get involved in something different this summer!  

Winston’s Wish is launching Hope 100 from this month and is encouraging local communities, families, friend groups, workplaces or school clubs to challenge themselves to get involved in an activity, from cake sales to sporty challenges, and raise £100 in the process.

This fundraising challenge is based around the thought of the number of children and young people who are bereaved each day.  

Estimates suggest that each day more than 100 young people are bereaved of a parent and that figure doesn’t equate how many are having to navigate the death of a friend, sibling, teacher or another significant person in their lives. Hope 100 serves to highlight the grieving children and young adults in our local community.   

Alongside raising funds, Winston’s Wish is hoping to signpost its services this summer and remind people of the children and young people who are having to navigate the death of somebody significant to them, whether that’s a parent, sibling, friend or somebody else. 

This summer, whilst many schools and social support networks are closing their doors for the holidays, Winston’s Wish will continue to keep its on-demand services open to the children and young people, as well as the adults around them, who are having to cope with their grief. Hope 100 serves to not only ensure that that support can remain open for the young people who need bereavement support but also to remind them that these services are available.  

We love seeing people’s creativity when it comes to getting involved with Hope 100. The summer holidays are a time when many families or groups of children and young people get together to try a new challenge, enjoy time together and make some memories.”

 

Nicki Gerrard, Winston’s Wish Campaigns and Events Manager

Nicki is excited to see people across the region and further afield throughout the UK get involved with this challenge, and went on to say: “We know that many of our incredible supporters come together because they themselves have suffered a bereavement or they know of somebody in their local community, whether that’s at the school gates, in their exercise classes or from their social circle, who are supporting a child or young person with their bereavement. Throughout the summer holidays, we are inspired to see and hear lots of people joining together to and using creative methods to raise funds for Winston’s Wish. 

“We’re hoping that as many people as possible can hear about this challenge, especially as it raises awareness and enables us to keep the on-demand services open throughout the summer holidays and the rest of the year. We recognise that many young people themselves make use of these on-demand services to get instant grief support because of a change in routine, back-to-school worries or feeling different to their peers because of their bereavement. Many concerned adults also reach out to us for support and advice, and we know how important it is to have that instant response when young people need us the most.” 

Register your place as an individual or group on our website and kickstart your Hope 100 challenge!

Once registered, you’ll receive a special fundraising pack to help with raising money for the sponsored challenge. Don’t forget to share your activities on social media using the hashtag #MyHope100 and inspire others. 

Are you looking for things to do in the summer holidays that won’t break the bank? Our friends at WAY Widowed and Young have been sharing some money-saving ideas to help you make the most of the summer months without worrying about the cost.

I was a teacher when my children were young and at the point of my bereavement, so I was lucky to be able to spend that time with my children. I always looked out for community-based activities, which were on the whole cheaper than organisational ones. I also had a Historic Scotland/National Trust membership which meant, although an initial outlay (which I spread across the year), I could go to a lot of places ‘free,’ although I needed transport to get there. I also used to look after my friends’ children too, which meant my children were busy and happy to have the company at home and we did lots of park picnics too anytime it wasn’t raining

 

Veronica, WAY Member

If you can, network with other school mums. We used to car share to the beach or meet at the park for a ‘picnic,’ which was the same lunch we would have had at home just in a box and eaten on the grass rather than on a plate at the table! I was forever having other children over to play as it entertained my own children. We live about a 30-minute walk from a supermarket so we would walk there, go to the park next door, nip into the shop and get essentials and a box of ice creams to enjoy on the way home. This encouraged the legs to work and saved a bit of fuel

 

WAY Member

Many local councils have a leisure discount scheme for anyone that claims Universal Credit or other benefits. Where I am, this gives you 50% off any activities at the leisure centres (including swimming) and a 50% discount on tickets for shows at our town halls.

I’ve also recently got a Family and Friends railcard, which we’ve used a few times now. It knocks one-third off adult tickets and 60% off child tickets, as long as you’re travelling together.

If you work for a publicly funded organisation and would benefit from it geographically, I’d recommend signing up for a Boundless card. It’s £40 a year but it gives you discounts as well as unlimited free entry to Kew Gardens and all of the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust sites for you and up to 5/6 children. They’ve also just introduced a slightly more expensive membership at £68 a year, which adds unlimited free entry to all of the Historic Royal Palaces and National Trust for Scotland sites as well

 

WAY Member

Other money saving tips

Try searching “free children’s activities near me” in your Internet search engine and you’ll be surprised what you might find.

Local libraries can be great source of entertainment over the summer holidays. Not only can you borrow audio books and DVDs as well as books, many libraries run a Summer Reading Challenge for children too, as well as organising readings and free craft activities.

Libraries are also a great source of information, particularly around free and cheap activities in your area – anything from free swimming to local family-friendly events.

Many schools and community centres also offer summer holidays clubs and activities that are either free or heavily subsidised. Holiday clubs are often eligible for payment through tax-free childcare and childcare vouchers (if you have them), too.

The government’s holiday activities and food programme (HAF) provides support to children in receipt of free school meals throughout the holiday period. You can find local support in your area by typing “holiday activities and food programme” into your search engine.

There are also plenty of free craft activities online, especially designed for those inevitable rainy days:

• To get the creativity flowing, here’s a helpful, Make and Talk: Window Art craft activity to encourage children to open up about their grief.
• Or you could get involved with WAY Widowed and Young’s Summer of Swans challenge to make 1,000 paper swans over the summer. Find out more here.

About WAY

The WAY Widowed and Young community offers a safe space to talk to other people (both with and without children) who understand how it feels to be widowed at a young age.

Find out how WAY can support you at www.widowedandyoung.org.uk

5 Ways to manage grief in the Summer Holidays

We know that the summer holidays can be a difficult time for grieving families, children, and young people. Losing the consistent routine of school or college can affect people and bring up lots of different emotions.

Our team of Support Workers share five ways to manage grief and emotions over the summer holidays.

Activities to try over the Summer Holidays

Activities can be a useful way to help grieving children and young people to explore and express their feelings and emotions and to help them maintain memories of the person who has died.

Download our free activities to help express feelings of grief.